Obverse

Bust of a bishop-saint, no doubt St. Nicholas, blessing with his right hand and holding a book in his left hand. Remnants of a vertical inscription at right: ο|λ : [Ὁ ἅγιος Νικ]όλ[αος]. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, a decoration below. Border of dots.

ριστ...πισειτ,μεσοποταμ–  –

[Χ]ριστ[οφ(όρῳ) ἐ]πισκεπτίτ(ῃ) Μεσοποταμ(ίας)

Translation

Χριστοφόρῳ ἐπισκεπτίτῃ Μεσοποταμίας.

Christophoros, episkeptites of Mesopotamia.

Commentary

Another seal of an episkeptites of Mesopotamia is mentioned in the Mordtmann collection (A. Mordtmann, "Plombs byzantins de la Grèce et du Péleponnèse," RA 33 [1877], 297; still unpublished, as far as we know). These seals indicate that part of the land in Mesopotamia was converted into an episkepsis for direct exploitation by the state.